Track & Field
Don Marsh
- Title:
- Special Advisor to the Head Coach
- Email:
- dmarsh@usf.edu
Years in Coaching: 66th season
Years at South Florida: 28th season
Alma Mater: Michigan State, 1960
Hometown: Charlotte, Michigan
NOTABLES
Don Marsh begins his 28th year as a member of the University of South Florida Track and Field staff, specializing in the pole vault and high jump.
Before his position with the Bulls, Marsh spent three years (1995-97) as an assistant coach at Saginaw Valley State University and as an extremely successful high school coach in Michigan. Coach Marsh has coached 10 All-Americans, 18 National Qualifiers, 24 Conference Champions, and 63 Regional Qualifiers in his career.
During the 2026 season, Nikodem Pochopien was the American Conference champion in the pole vault with an indoor-best 5.30m (17’ 4.5”), while Payton Pitts finished second (5.20m) at the American Indoor Championships. Ella Dolce was the first American Conference champion in the outdoor pole vault in program history, vaulting 3.99m (13’ 1”) at the American Outdoor Championships. Pochopien earned a silver medal (5.22m) while Andreas Kreiss (5.12m) earned a bronze medal in the pole vault at the American Outdoor Championships. Pochopien and Pitts competed at the NCAA East First Rounds in the pole vault.
During the 2025 season, the South Florida men swept the podium in the pole vault at the American Indoor Championships, with Kobe Babin (5.11m) winning the event, followed by Nikodem Pochopien (5.11m) and Noah Bitter (5.11m). Pochopien also earned the American Conference Men’s Indoor Freshman of the Year. Ella Galloway was the American Conference champion in the pole vault with a mark of 4.07m (13’ 4.25”), while Ella Dolce finished third (3.87m) at the American Indoor Championships. Babin was the NCAA Runner-Up in the pole vault with a personal-best and school record mark of 5.66m (18’ 6.75”) at the NCAA Indoor Championships. The South Florida men also swept the podium in the pole vault at the American Outdoor Championships, with Noah Bitter (5.25m) winning the event, followed by Andreas Kreiss (5.11m) and Nikodem Pochopien (5.01m). Bitter, Kreiss, and Pochopien all qualified for the NCAA East First Rounds in the pole vault. Madeline Dutz earned a bronze medal in the pole vault (4.02m) at the American Outdoor Championships.
In 2024, Coach Marsh coached Kobe Babin to an indoor and outdoor AAC championship with his Outdoor performance clearing 5.50m (18’ 0.5”), the first USF vaulter to jump 18 feet. Noah Bitter earned a silver medal in the pole vault at both the American Indoor Championships (4.88m) and American Outdoor Championships (5.15m). Kendall Mosely also earned a silver medal in the high jump (2.15m) at the American Outdoor Championships. Babin and Bitter competed at the NCAA East First Rounds in the pole vault while Mosely qualified for regionals in the high jump. In 2023, Coach Marsh coached Kobe Babin to school records in both the Indoor and Outdoor Pole Vault with a jump of 5.38m (17' 7 3/4"). Romaine Beckford excelled in the High Jump, winning both Indoor and Outdoor National Championships in 2023 with a school record of 2.27m (7' 5 1/4"). Beckford won the American Conference Men’s Field Most Outstanding Performance in the high jump at the American Indoor Championships. Annia Ashley also competed at the NCAA East First Rounds in the high jump.
In 2022, Annia Ashley was the American Conference champion in the women’s high jump (1.74m) while Romaine Beckford was the American Conference champion in the men’s high jump (2.18m) at the American Outdoor Championships. Beckford also was the American Conference champion in the indoor high jump (2.20m) at the American Indoor Championships. Beckford was a Second Team All-American in the high jump at the NCAA Indoor Championships and NCAA Outdoor Championships.In 2021, he coached Stone Baker to a spot in the Outdoor NCAA Championship meet in the pole vault with a jump of 5.35m (17' 6 1/2"). He coached Stephanie Lambeth to an Indoor Conference Title in 2020. Junior David Bell vaulted 5.36m (17’ 7”) to break a 14-year-old school record in 2018. Bell, in his senior season, won the ACC Conference Championship and qualified for his third appearance in the NCAA first round. In 2015, David Shephard vaulted to All-American status.
Errol Blackmon jumped 2.16m (7' 1") and advanced to the NCAA Championships three times in four years. Also in this group, Coach Marsh has coached Michael Kursteiner to three straight regional performances and Loutisha Hall to a school record of 1.78m (5' 10"). In 2013, he coached Chase Meyers to a 2.16m (7’ 1”) high jump to win the Big East Indoor Title, and he coached Drew Volz to an Indoor Big East Championship in the pole vault.
Under his guidance, Denise vonEynatten returned to USF in 2011, winning Indoor and Outdoor Big East Titles while setting records in both. She also broke the school record by jumping 4.31m (14' 1 3/4"). She also placed 5th in the NCAA Indoor Championship to garner another All-American honor. Stephanie Duffy jumped 4.12m (13' 6 1/4") outdoors to also achieve All-American status. In 2008, Coach Marsh coached Denise vonEynatten to a Big East Indoor Championship and a place in the NCAA Indoor National Championship, achieving All-American Honors in the pole vault with a jump of 4.26m (13' 11 3/4"). Also in 2008, Sean Young won the Big East Title and advanced to the finals in the Outdoor NCAA Championships with a jump of 5.25m (17' 2 3/4"). In addition, Dana Webb and Stephanie Duffy have qualified for the regional championship in the pole vault for two straight years. Both athletes also have been Academic All-Americans.
USF high jumper Jimmy Baxter earned All-American honors for the third time in four years in 2005 and placed third in the NCAA Championships with a height of 2.26m (7' 5"). He also coached freshman Megan Malone to a Conference USA Indoor Championship with a height of 3.80m (12' 5 1/2") in 2005. In addition, pole vaulter Jonathon Miller won the Conference USA Championship for a second straight year in 2004 with a conference and school record height of 5.30m (17' 4.5"). Marsh would help Miller achieve a three-peat in the pole vault a year later.
Coach Marsh was a member of the Coaching Staff of the Year in Conference USA in 2003. Marsh remains an active community advocate for track and field and has served as a top official in four Special Olympics International Games.
During his time at SVSU, Marsh helped Cardinal athletes to several top finishes in the NCAA Division II Championships in the high jump, long jump, decathlon and the 100 meters. In addition, he coached four All-Americans in the high jump, the hurdles, the pole vault, and the 400 meters.
During his 32 years at Flint Kearsley High School, he molded one of the premier track and field programs in the state, regularly winning conference, regional, and state titles. He was named Michigan's Track Coach of the Year in 1974, 1978, and 1992. He was also named Midwest Track Coach of the Year in 1992 and was a finalist for National Coach of the Year that same year. In 1996, he was inducted into the Michigan Coaches Hall of Fame, and in 2006 he was inducted into the Michigan Track Coaches Hall of Fame. In 2011, he was inducted into the Michigan Sport Sages. In 2014, he was inducted into the Flint Kearsley High School Inaugural Hall of Fame in Michigan.
After graduating from Michigan State University, Coach Marsh first taught and coached at Chesaning, where in his second year, they won their first Conference Track Title in 25 years.
Marsh was a high school state champion himself at Charlotte High School and a four-year letter winner at Michigan State University, where he ran the 400 meters. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Michigan State University in biology and a master’s degree in administration from Central Michigan University.
Marsh and his wife, Betty, have four children, Jeff, David, Tim and Leigh Anne and five grandchildren.
Years at South Florida: 28th season
Alma Mater: Michigan State, 1960
Hometown: Charlotte, Michigan
NOTABLES
- Coached 2023 NCAA indoor and outdoor high jump champion, Romaine Beckford
- Coached 2025 NCAA indoor pole vault runner-up Kobe Babin
- Coached 10 All-Americans, 18 National Qualifiers, 24 Conference Champions, and 63 Regional Qualifiers in his career
- Named the 1992 Midwest Track Coach of the Year and a finalist for the 1992 National Coach of the Year
- Three-time Michigan Track Coach of the Year
- Was inducted into the Michigan Coaches Hall of Fame, Michigan Track Coaches Hall of Fame, Michigan Sport Sages, and Flint Kearsley High School Inaugural Hall of Fame
Don Marsh begins his 28th year as a member of the University of South Florida Track and Field staff, specializing in the pole vault and high jump.
Before his position with the Bulls, Marsh spent three years (1995-97) as an assistant coach at Saginaw Valley State University and as an extremely successful high school coach in Michigan. Coach Marsh has coached 10 All-Americans, 18 National Qualifiers, 24 Conference Champions, and 63 Regional Qualifiers in his career.
During the 2026 season, Nikodem Pochopien was the American Conference champion in the pole vault with an indoor-best 5.30m (17’ 4.5”), while Payton Pitts finished second (5.20m) at the American Indoor Championships. Ella Dolce was the first American Conference champion in the outdoor pole vault in program history, vaulting 3.99m (13’ 1”) at the American Outdoor Championships. Pochopien earned a silver medal (5.22m) while Andreas Kreiss (5.12m) earned a bronze medal in the pole vault at the American Outdoor Championships. Pochopien and Pitts competed at the NCAA East First Rounds in the pole vault.
During the 2025 season, the South Florida men swept the podium in the pole vault at the American Indoor Championships, with Kobe Babin (5.11m) winning the event, followed by Nikodem Pochopien (5.11m) and Noah Bitter (5.11m). Pochopien also earned the American Conference Men’s Indoor Freshman of the Year. Ella Galloway was the American Conference champion in the pole vault with a mark of 4.07m (13’ 4.25”), while Ella Dolce finished third (3.87m) at the American Indoor Championships. Babin was the NCAA Runner-Up in the pole vault with a personal-best and school record mark of 5.66m (18’ 6.75”) at the NCAA Indoor Championships. The South Florida men also swept the podium in the pole vault at the American Outdoor Championships, with Noah Bitter (5.25m) winning the event, followed by Andreas Kreiss (5.11m) and Nikodem Pochopien (5.01m). Bitter, Kreiss, and Pochopien all qualified for the NCAA East First Rounds in the pole vault. Madeline Dutz earned a bronze medal in the pole vault (4.02m) at the American Outdoor Championships.
In 2024, Coach Marsh coached Kobe Babin to an indoor and outdoor AAC championship with his Outdoor performance clearing 5.50m (18’ 0.5”), the first USF vaulter to jump 18 feet. Noah Bitter earned a silver medal in the pole vault at both the American Indoor Championships (4.88m) and American Outdoor Championships (5.15m). Kendall Mosely also earned a silver medal in the high jump (2.15m) at the American Outdoor Championships. Babin and Bitter competed at the NCAA East First Rounds in the pole vault while Mosely qualified for regionals in the high jump. In 2023, Coach Marsh coached Kobe Babin to school records in both the Indoor and Outdoor Pole Vault with a jump of 5.38m (17' 7 3/4"). Romaine Beckford excelled in the High Jump, winning both Indoor and Outdoor National Championships in 2023 with a school record of 2.27m (7' 5 1/4"). Beckford won the American Conference Men’s Field Most Outstanding Performance in the high jump at the American Indoor Championships. Annia Ashley also competed at the NCAA East First Rounds in the high jump.
In 2022, Annia Ashley was the American Conference champion in the women’s high jump (1.74m) while Romaine Beckford was the American Conference champion in the men’s high jump (2.18m) at the American Outdoor Championships. Beckford also was the American Conference champion in the indoor high jump (2.20m) at the American Indoor Championships. Beckford was a Second Team All-American in the high jump at the NCAA Indoor Championships and NCAA Outdoor Championships.In 2021, he coached Stone Baker to a spot in the Outdoor NCAA Championship meet in the pole vault with a jump of 5.35m (17' 6 1/2"). He coached Stephanie Lambeth to an Indoor Conference Title in 2020. Junior David Bell vaulted 5.36m (17’ 7”) to break a 14-year-old school record in 2018. Bell, in his senior season, won the ACC Conference Championship and qualified for his third appearance in the NCAA first round. In 2015, David Shephard vaulted to All-American status.
Errol Blackmon jumped 2.16m (7' 1") and advanced to the NCAA Championships three times in four years. Also in this group, Coach Marsh has coached Michael Kursteiner to three straight regional performances and Loutisha Hall to a school record of 1.78m (5' 10"). In 2013, he coached Chase Meyers to a 2.16m (7’ 1”) high jump to win the Big East Indoor Title, and he coached Drew Volz to an Indoor Big East Championship in the pole vault.
Under his guidance, Denise vonEynatten returned to USF in 2011, winning Indoor and Outdoor Big East Titles while setting records in both. She also broke the school record by jumping 4.31m (14' 1 3/4"). She also placed 5th in the NCAA Indoor Championship to garner another All-American honor. Stephanie Duffy jumped 4.12m (13' 6 1/4") outdoors to also achieve All-American status. In 2008, Coach Marsh coached Denise vonEynatten to a Big East Indoor Championship and a place in the NCAA Indoor National Championship, achieving All-American Honors in the pole vault with a jump of 4.26m (13' 11 3/4"). Also in 2008, Sean Young won the Big East Title and advanced to the finals in the Outdoor NCAA Championships with a jump of 5.25m (17' 2 3/4"). In addition, Dana Webb and Stephanie Duffy have qualified for the regional championship in the pole vault for two straight years. Both athletes also have been Academic All-Americans.
USF high jumper Jimmy Baxter earned All-American honors for the third time in four years in 2005 and placed third in the NCAA Championships with a height of 2.26m (7' 5"). He also coached freshman Megan Malone to a Conference USA Indoor Championship with a height of 3.80m (12' 5 1/2") in 2005. In addition, pole vaulter Jonathon Miller won the Conference USA Championship for a second straight year in 2004 with a conference and school record height of 5.30m (17' 4.5"). Marsh would help Miller achieve a three-peat in the pole vault a year later.
Coach Marsh was a member of the Coaching Staff of the Year in Conference USA in 2003. Marsh remains an active community advocate for track and field and has served as a top official in four Special Olympics International Games.
During his time at SVSU, Marsh helped Cardinal athletes to several top finishes in the NCAA Division II Championships in the high jump, long jump, decathlon and the 100 meters. In addition, he coached four All-Americans in the high jump, the hurdles, the pole vault, and the 400 meters.
During his 32 years at Flint Kearsley High School, he molded one of the premier track and field programs in the state, regularly winning conference, regional, and state titles. He was named Michigan's Track Coach of the Year in 1974, 1978, and 1992. He was also named Midwest Track Coach of the Year in 1992 and was a finalist for National Coach of the Year that same year. In 1996, he was inducted into the Michigan Coaches Hall of Fame, and in 2006 he was inducted into the Michigan Track Coaches Hall of Fame. In 2011, he was inducted into the Michigan Sport Sages. In 2014, he was inducted into the Flint Kearsley High School Inaugural Hall of Fame in Michigan.
After graduating from Michigan State University, Coach Marsh first taught and coached at Chesaning, where in his second year, they won their first Conference Track Title in 25 years.
Marsh was a high school state champion himself at Charlotte High School and a four-year letter winner at Michigan State University, where he ran the 400 meters. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Michigan State University in biology and a master’s degree in administration from Central Michigan University.
Marsh and his wife, Betty, have four children, Jeff, David, Tim and Leigh Anne and five grandchildren.
Monday, May 11
Friday, March 06
Wednesday, February 04
Friday, May 23
